Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-

Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- (Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu) is an adventure/fantasy anime, adapted from a light novel series originally written by Tappei Nagatsuki. The series premiered on April 4th, 2016, in Japan on TV Tokyo. Re:Zero follows the story of a 17-year-old boy who finds himself suddenly in a new world.

Plot

Natsuki Subaru is a 17-year-old shut-in (hikikomori) who, on the way home from a convenience store, finds himself transported to an unfamiliar world. He does not seem to find this odd, as he assumes this means he is suddenly a 'protagonist' and hero. While he searches for the person who has summoned him, he runs into a silver-haired, half-elf girl, who is in search of something stolen. Subaru soon discovers he has the ability to "Return by Death", which means he can reset time and events from a certain point by dying. However, he also finds that he is the only one who has memory of the previous timelines.

Overall

After watching half of the hour long first episode, I was immediately hooked on this show. The premise of the show seemed to me, initially, to be just another cliché "transported to a new world" anime. However, I was proven wrong. The flow of the anime and the way the characters are written is clearly a breath of fresh air. After considering Subaru's fate to "restart" when he fails, it really makes you take a closer look at how he interacts with characters. It may or may not change how things play out significantly. Although, even with this premise laid out, it may seem as if this character reliving the same events over and over may seem annoying, or boring. That is not the case. The story progression is consistent and smooth. There's nothing about this anime that is boring. The characters and their personalities will all leave their mark in your mind, and, with some, your heart. They, and the story, are definitely unforgettable.

Overall, I give this anime a solid 5/5 stars. Bias aside, it seems as though there is very little wrong with it. Even down to the scenery and backgrounds, everything is so nicely done. The animators and the entire creative team have obviously spent a lot of time and work on this anime. If you're looking for something more serious than most shounen* anime, with light comedy, and an air of mystery, Re:Zero is definitely for you.